If you have been following the news recently, you will know about the recent theft of a rare Stradivarius violin. It was safely recovered and returned to its current owner, Frank Almond. This event opened up the eyes of many people to the arts scene in Milwaukee. Our city is known for our sports, our food, and our beer. People don't always think about Milwaukee as a city with a high ranking art scene.

While it depends on what art scene you are personally interested it, Milwaukee has a lot to offer. Across the city, on weekends and weeknights alike, wonderful local bands can be found at countless bars and restaurants. But that is just the tip of the ice burg.

If we are sticking to music, we need to move past the obvious. Milwaukee is famous for its festivals, especially Summerfest! This is one big musical event that gets a lot of attention. But, there are plenty of other musical appeals during the rest of the year too! Milwaukee has plenty of venues like, The Pabst Theater, The Miramar Theater, The Rave, The Turner Hall Ballrooms, The Riverside Theater, and The Bradley Center. We have a lot of big names that come through our city, and their shows are fantastic! That covers one aspect of music, but there is more, like classical.

We have two world-class classical groups in Milwaukee: The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the Fine Arts Quartet. There are groups that play the classics. They are full of talent and passion, and every performance is a treat. They also have an abundance of guests that join them, which makes them all the more impressive. Keeping with the classics, let's talk about ballet. The Milwaukee Ballet has some incredible talent. They may not be the largest company in the country, but they perform wonderful, artistic pieces. Every show is something special!

Next we jump over to the world of theater. There are numerous venues across the city you can go to take in a show. The Milwaukee Theater, The Milwaukee Repertory Theater, and The Skylight Theater are just a few. Already this year we have had great shows like Evita, In The Heights, End of the Rainbow, and on the 28th will be the opening night of An Iliad. We are well stocked with theater performances, and there is always something for everyone. Each of the venues is unique in it's own way, and all are guaranteed to be a great experience!

Milwaukee always has something to offer everyone that comes to visit. Our arts programs are fantastic, and sometimes under appreciated. It's important to know what your city has to offer you, otherwise you will miss out on wonderful performances and memories. So the next time you are planning a fun night out, check out any of these venues to indulge in the arts!

Moving to a new city is fun and exciting! You get to discover new places, meet new people and try new things. Milwaukee can be that new city for you. With a new city comes finding a new home, whether that be a studio, a condo, or a house. Finding a perfect home is can be an overwhelming experience. How many times have you walked into a potential gem and decided you didn’t like the carpet, or the windows, or the appliances? Sometimes those things have to be overlooked at the beginning, with the promise of a remodel of some sort along the way.

But you’re in a new city. Maybe you have never needed to replace your carpet before. Maybe you have never had to configure what you would like your landscaping to look like. And who do you call to help you take care of all this? Remodeling isn't always cheap. If you don’t know who to call to help you, it could be more difficult than necessary. You could Google these sorts of things and look at reviews of local contractors, but wouldn’t you rather meet them first hand and see if their work is really what you want?

Any remodel job is an important decision, and the NARI Home Improvement Show is here to help with all that. From February 13-16 at the Wisconsin Exposition Center at the State Fair Grounds, the leading home improvement and remodeling agencies will be available to answer your questions and help you figure out what you want to do with your home to really make it one of a kind, and just what you want.

If you are new to the Milwaukee area, we know you are going to want to stay for as long as possible, so why not make your home the best it can be? The nice folks at the NARI Home Improvement Show are here to help you get your home to that point. Be sure to stop by to take advantage of their insight and assistance!

It has endless possibilities for the people who choose to live here, and a lot of those people are students. Every year over 70,000 students come from near and far to attend the prestigious colleges and universities that call Milwaukee home. From UW-Milwaukee on the East Side to Marquette University and Milwaukee School of Engineering Downtown, Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design in the Third Ward, Cardinal Stritch University on the North Side, and Alverno College and Mount Mary College on the West side, perspective college students have plenty of options.

Choosing a school can be a huge decision for any 17 or 18-year-old. That decision will help shape the rest of their life. The schools in Milwaukee have wonderful reputations to back them, but the CITY of Milwaukee is a huge draw in itself. Students have access to easy public transportation, lake front views, varieties of entertainment, an abundance of festivals throughout the year, renowned restaurants from one end of the city to the other, impressive professional sports teams, multiple music and theater venues, and the prospect of a GREAT job after graduation.

As a student attending school in Milwaukee, I have been exposed to more than I expected coming from a small suburb of Chicago. Some people say Milwaukee is too small. I think it's perfect! I have been living here for years, and I am still finding new things to love about this place. The more students branch out from their campuses, the more they can REALLY appreciate this city. We have a beautiful art museum, a great public museum, and impressive zoo, and countless other forms of entertainment at our fingertips. Milwaukee isn't a "college town" like some places in the country, but it is a great city for a college student to live. We have all the perks that go with living in a city combined with a typical campus feel is the best combination a student can get.

I chose to move to Milwaukee for my educational career, but it has given me so much, I don't know if I ever want to leave. Sure, the school that I chose to attend makes a big difference, but if you were to ask other college students across the city, I'm sure their answer would be the same. We love it here. Over the summer, The Milwaukee Business Journal had a very interesting article aimed at college students. Milwaukee is one of the top 10 cities to hire college graduates in the country! Students, like me, that have built connections over their 4+ years of Milwaukee education certainly have an upper hand here. Milwaukee is searching for new, young, and exciting talent. There are over 70,000 of us that have the opportunity to land these prestigious positions. This is an opportunity that no one should pass up. When I think about how much this city has done for me, and given me, I can't think of anywhere I would rather go to put my talents to good use.

As high school seniors are making their choices for next year, they should really consider coming to one of the many Milwaukee schools. It is where you will meet friends you will keep forever, create enough memories to last a lifetime, and find a place to put down roots (both personally and professionally). Milwaukee has been around for 168 years, but it's still a growing city, filled with opportunities for younger generations looking to spread their wings. I can't imagine completing my undergraduate career anywhere else.